Radio Remote Controlled Winch

[teamidris]

We have noticed a problem with our rear winch in challenge events. It has a remote switch on a cable, so the winch man can operate it. (after all, he can see whats happening, I can't). The cable is too short and in real risk of getting damaged. So we thought radio controlled would be better.
I thought I would give this a go while I was in Maplins;

Quasar UK Radio Remote Control;
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=46974&doy=11m8#Faq

But have to say I just found this one cheaper on Ebay;

Winch-it;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WIRELESS-WINCH-REMOTE-CON...3286.c0.m14.l1318

The maplins one has three channels, leaving a 5 ampere relay free to work a horn or buzzer. (Terry shouting doesn't always work ). Should it not work for the winch, it can be set to 'momentray' or 'latch'.
But the proper winch ones are water proof, so don't need to live in a plastic bag.

[paulmurray]

i have been using one of these from the same seller
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WIRELESS-WINCH-REMOTE-CON...Zp1742.m153.l1262
bigger buttons and no aerial to get broken
it even has a belt clip

[bertie_bas205]

I've got remotes on both of my winches, they work very well and is safer cause ye can stand well back......




Bertie.

[clbarclay]

[paulmurray]

the receiver aerial is just a piece of blue wire on these. i have it hangin out the back of the solenoid box.
i find the range is easily 100 ft as claimed.

[teamidris]

It worked well in the garage.........

But every time it was loaded on the challenge event the voltage drop caused it to latch out

So back to the drawing board. Good job I left the old switch circuit in place.

Hoping a wire direct to the battery will cure it. Taking the feed from the ordinary vehicle electrics didn't

[teamidris]

Sorted!

I had used a common single wire to the radio circuit board. The power used to drive the winch solenoids through its on-board relays was enough to drop the voltage.
Another wire to the radio part of the board (seperate feeds) has stopped it dropping out.

I now need to sort the problem of the small fiddly buttons on the remote that are 'glove proof'.

[burko_uk]

Mittens on string through your coat? Then you can quickly take your glove off without losing it in the mud Make sure the string is long enough though, else you'll end up looking like some kind of crazy puppet

[teamidris]

You have no idea how close to the truth that is (as Terry went back to look for his glove).
I made the same suggestion, which is risky, as he could have insisted he drive, and I run up and down steep banks

I had a quick look inside the remote fob tonight and it looks very small and fiddly for soldering on wires to bigger buttons. My advise would be to buy a proper winch remote control kit (which you had all probably worked out by now)

[teamidris]

The third button on the radio remote now works a car horn (with a run of silicon sealer round it to make it quiet). It proved usefull Saturday, as I could not see my winch man with the ground anchor. so he bliped the horn when he was ready "twice for yes, once for no". Cheaper than a nice radio head set anyway .

But it still didn't do the winch part, then the winch died .
So I will battle on, starting by ditching the cut out on the negative, instead putting it on the positive lead. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but way to much brain work to figure out whats going on

[Joelypops]

the only thing I have ever wondered about these remote switches, what if someone else has one close by to you and when they winch in it folds your truck in half??

or is the remote tuned specifically to your reciever thingy??

Joel.

[themightybaggins]

me and a friend of mine bought one of them cheap e-bay ones each, and they were both on different frequencys, which was handy!!!

i had my solonoid box mounted on the bumper above the winch (where you often see them mounted), after a dip in some water, caried on driving down the lane, about 10 minutes later, the winch started going itself! it mangled the rollers on the bumper and the steel wire as it winched itself into itself!! untill i could pull the wire off the battery! of course i now know to have an emergency cut out switch!

turned out the little black box got wet inside. ive since dried it out and mounted it much higher up where its less likely to get wet!

*edited for spelling*

[Terranosaurus]

[teamidris]

This Maplins one says 'keeloq' high security and has two pins to cross if you want to teach it a new fob. And it's behind my head on the roll cage, with its own cut off switch, as well as the main high amperage winch cut off. But I'm still wairy though. Messing with home robotics showed how electronics can get confused real quick.
But on the whole I would say it was a trade up in safety, as you get to stand where you want (well Terry winch man does). Just collecting the cable remote meant being a bit too close to the motor, whereas now Terry has the remote round his neck all the time. And he operates the rear winch rather than me, because he can see whats going on behind the vehicle.
I swear it was me operating the rear winch this weekend that finished it off, as I couldn't tell when it had stalled

[D9OSV]